Portable dressing room



9 M m. CARSON PORTABLE DRESSING ROOM Filed Oct. 20,, 1954 l /VC72 /7CW7 Ca /Jon ML 20 an JNVEIVTUR.

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United States Patent PORTABLE DRESSING ROOM Nathan Carson, Houston, Tex.

Application October 20, 1954, Serial No. 463,557

2 Claims. (Cl. 135--8) This invention is a continuation-impart of my copendingapplication Serial No. 388,348, filed October 26,

. 1953, now abandoned.

This invention relates to a portable dressing room of tent-like form which is attachable to a vehicle, such as an automobile, and adapted for use by bathers on the open beach for making clothing changes.

An object is to provide a portable dressing room employing a support frame which is adapted to be removably secured to the frame of an automobile window.

A further object is to provide a portable dressing room including a supporting frame which may be secured in an automobile window frame without interfering with the raising and lowering of the window.

An additional object is to provide a device of the class described which is of relatively simple and low cost construction, which is easily installed and removed and which is constructed from several readily separable parts whereby the device may be dis-assembled and stored in a compact form.

Still another object is to provide a structure of the class described in which portions of the supporting frame are adjustable to accommodate the device in car window openings of different sizes and shapes.

Other and more specific objects and advantages of this invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing which illustrates one useful embodiment in accordance with this invention.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is an external perspective view of the device shown mounted on the side of an automobile;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly in section, showing the device and its support frame secured to the window frame of an automobile;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the upper portion of the support frame; and

Fig. 4 is a partly sectional view of the lower end portion of the support frame.

The dressing room, as illustrated, comprises a bagtype tent, designated generally by the numeral 10, and comprises a horizontally disposed generally annular frame 11, from which is suspended a curtain 12 by means of conventional curtain hooks 13 which are slidable on frame 11 to permit the curtain to be drawn around the perimeter of the frame and thereby form an enclosure in which a person may dress or undress as will be readily evident. it will be understood that curtain 12 may be made of any suitable opaque flexible material, such as canvas, plastic, or the like.

For purposes of strength and lightness in weight, frame 11 is preferably constructed of aluminum tubing, although it will be understood that other metals may be employed and may be solid rather than tubular. Moreover, frame 11 may be circular in shape rather than rectangular as in the illustrative embodiment.

The ends of frame 11 are jointed together by means of a fitting, designated generally by the numeral 14, which may be in the form of a hollow cross, as shown, the ends of the frame being secured in the horizontal branches of the cross. The vertical branches of the fitting form a tubular sleeve 15 adapted to slidably receive a tubular support post 16. A pair of wing head set screws 17 extend through sleeve 15 for clamping the cross fitting to post 16 whereby to fix the position of frame 11 on post 16. By this arrangement the height of the dressing room may be adjusted by adjustment of frame 11 longitudinally of post 16.

The lower end of post 16 carries a foot-piece, designated generally by the numeral 18,. which comprises a foot-plate 19 which is adapted to rest on the lower sill S of the frame F of a conventional automobile window, the underside of foot-plate 19 being lined with a soft pad 20, of rubber or other suitable padding material. The inner edge of plate 19 is formed to provide a downwardly turned flange 21 which is adapted to be inserted in the lower window glass-receiving channel C in frame F. As best seen in Fig. 2, flange 21 is preferably made relatively thin so that it may be inserted between the outer wall of channel C and the outer surface of window glass G, to thereby permit the window glass to be raised and lowered while post 16 is in place.

Foot-piece 18 is secured to the lower end of post 16 in any suitable manner. In the illustrative embodiment a swivel connection, best seen .in Fig. 4, is employed and comprises a cylindrical rod 22 which extends through an outwardly flared opening 23 in foot-plate 19 and is pro vided at its outer end with an enlarged tapered head 24 which cooperates with the wall of flared opening 23 to hold the plate on rod 22 while permitting relative rotation therebetween. The opposite end of rod 22 extends into the bore of post 16 and is secured thereto by means of a pin 25.

A metal anchor bracket 26, best seen in Fig. 3, is employed to anchor post 16 to the upper portion of frame F in order to complete the structure for supporting the dressing enclosure from the automobile. Bracket 26 is provided at one end with a journal or sleeve 27 adapted to receive post 16 so that the bracket may slide longitudinally of the post in order to adjust its position therealong. A wing head set screw 28 extends through the wall of sleeve 27 in order to clamp the bracket to post 16. The opposite end of bracket 26 is provided with an upturned flange 29 adapted to be received in the upper glass-receiving channel R in window frame F.

With the arrangement described, it will be seen that when foot-piece 18 is positioned on the lower sill of an automobile and flange 29 is hooked into the upper glassreceiving channel of the window, by setting set screw 23 the supporting structure for the dressing room will be firmly anchored and supported from the automobile.

When it is desired to remove the device, bracket 26 is released by loosening screw 23. Then by loosening set screws 17-17 post 16 may be withdrawn from fitting 14 to further disassemble the structure. The curtain may be removed from frame 11 and the entire tent structure may then be packed into a comparatively small space in the automobile or elsewhere until again needed.

It will be understood that various changes and modifications may be made in the details of the illustrative embodiment within the scope of the appended claims but without departing from the spirit of this invention.

What 1 claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A portable dressing room for use with an automobile or like vehicle, comprising, a generally annular curtain-supporting frame, mounting means for supporting the curtain frame in generally horizontal position at one side of an automobile window frame having upper and lower glass guide channels, said mounting means including an elongated tubular post disposed in generally upright position outside said window frame, a vertically extending tubular sleeve secured to one side of the curtain frame to slidably receive the upper end portion of said post for adjusting the position of the curtain frame along said post, clamping screws extending through said sleeve to clamp the curtain frame to said post, a foot piece carried by the lower end of the post to seat on the lower sill of said window frame, said foot piece having a downwardly projecting flange adapted to be received in said lower guide channel, an anchor bracket sli'dable on the post intermediate said foot piece and said sleeve and cxtending laterally from the post into the window frame, an upwardly projecting flange on said bracket receivable in said upper guide channel to anchor said post to the upper portion of said window frame, means for clamping said bracket to said post in anchoring position, and a curtain pendently connected to said curtain frame and slidable thereon to form a dressing enclosure.

2. A portable dressing room for use with an automobile or like vehicle, comprising, a generally annular curtain-supporting frame, mounting means for supporting the curtain frame in generally horizontal position at one side of an automobile window frame having upper and lower glass guide channels, said mounting means including a tubular post disposed in generally upright position outside said window frame, a vertically extending tubular sleeve secured at one side of the curtain frame to slidably receive the upper end portion of said post for adjusting the position of the curtain frame along the post, clamping screws extending through said sleeve to clamp the curtain frame to the post, a foot piece carried by the lower end of the post, a swivel connection between the foot piece and the post, said foot piece comprising a generally horizontal foot plate adapted to seat on the lower sill of said window frame and a downwardly projecting flange at one side thereof adapted to be received in said lower guide channel, an anchor bracket slidable on the post intermediate 'said foot piece and said sleeve and extending laterally from said post into the window frame, an upwardly projecting flange on said bracket receivable in said upper guide channel to anchor said post to the upper portion of the window frame, means for clamping the bracket to the post in anchoring position, and a curtain pendently connected to said curtain frame and slidable thereon to form a dressing enclosure.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

